Bond for track-rails.



No. 65'6,l25. Patented Aug. l4, I900. H. F. A. KLEINSGHMIDT.

BOND FOR TRACK RAILS.

(Application filed Dec. 28. 1899.)

(NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Mg ATTORNEY.

H. F. A. KLEINSCHM'DT.

BOND FUR TRACK RAILS.

(Applibation filed Dec. 28, 1899.)

Patented Aug. l4, I900.

2 SheetsShaet 2 (NoMudaL) WITNESSES:

INVENTOI? BY M Qumm lu \Lx ATTORNEY.

to a rail.

UNIT-ED STATES PAT NT Futon.

HENRY F. A. KLEINSOHMIDT, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THELORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BOND FOR TRACK-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,125, dated August14, 1900. Application filed December 28,1899; Serial No. 741,843. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. A. KLEIN- SCHMIDT, of J ohnstown, inthe'county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Bonding Track-Rails, of which the following is afull,

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to bonding track-rails, and more particularly tothat class of such work in which the bonding cable or member iselectrically welded to the track-rails.

In electrically welding a flat-faced block to the web of a rail, evenwhen the parts are subjected to a heavy pressure after the weld is madefor the purpose of preventing deterioration of the steel of the web,there is a portion of the latter surrounding the block which, althoughraised to a welding heat, cannot be acted upon by the pressure, and

shape of such character that it will so confine the welded area that itwillnowhere extend to the outside surface of the block, or in otherwords, to so confine the welding area, both Where the block welds to therail and where it welds to the bonding-cable, that it can be entirelyput under pressure, and thereby prevent any portion of the rail-web andcable from being permanently deteriorated.

The invention also consists in the novel bond connection and in thenovel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan, and Fig. 2 anend View, of a bonding-block constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showingtheblock and cableapplied Fig. 4 is a similar view after pressure has been applied to theparts. Fig. 5 is a section of a slightly-difierent form of block. Fig. 6is a view of a reinforcing-block for use on the opposite side of therail-web, and Fig. 7 is a view showing the way in which the connectionmay be made.

The letter A designates my improved bond ing-block, which I have shownas being of generally circular form, although this shape is in no wiseessential to my invention. I prefer to make these blocks of copper; butthis also is not essential, as I may use Bessemer or cast steel or othersuitable material. On the inner face of this block is a raised centralportion or boss at, adapted for contact with the web of the rail andwhich is welded to the rail. In practice I have found it advisable tomake this boss or raised portion project about one-eighth of an inchbeyond the face of the surrounding portion of the block and to make saidsurrounding portion in the neighborhood of one-half an inch wide. I alsoprefer to slightly taper the peripheral edge of the boss at. B is a deepgroove out in the inner face of said block and extending entirely acrossthe same, as in Fig. 5, or only partially across, as in Fig. '1,according to Whether it is desired to weld an intermediate or an endportion of a bonding-cabletshown at C) to the rail. The bottom of thisgroove conformsin outline to the outline of the innor face ofthe block,which provides an olfset portion or portions at itsends, so that whenapplied to the rail and cable the latter will not contact with the railat any point outside the diameter of the boss at.

D designates a reinforcing-block, which is preferably welded to theopposite side of the rail from the block A. This block is similar to theblock A in the provision of a central boss, but it has no groove.

.11) E, Fig. 7, designate the welder-terminals, which also act asclamps, and F designates the rail to which the weld is to be made.

In making the connection the cable 0 is 5 is clamped between theterminals E E of the welder, as shown in Fig. 1. The weldingcurrent isthen passed through the parts from one terminal to the other. The onlyportion of the web which is brought to a full welding heat is that whichis immediately in contact with the bosses (it, although the surroundingportion a within the diameter of the block is heated very nearly to thatpoint or to a sufficient extent to cause deterioration of the steel werean ordinary fiat block employed. This heated area, however, is confinedwithin the limits of the diameter of the blocks. As soon as the weldingheat is reached a heavy pressure is applied through the terminal clampsand the blocks are forced up solidly against the web over their entiresurface, thus exerting pressure upon the heated area a. as well as uponthat area where the weld is actually made. In this manner permanentdeterioration of the steel in the portion a is prevented.

It should be stated that when the block is made of copper a piece orstrip of iron or other metal of relatively less resistance should beinterposed between the block and the welderterminal in order to bringthe copper to a welding heat. This is because of the high conductivityof copper.

It is obvious that the shape of the blocks and the dimensions which Ihave above stated may be varied to a considerable extent withoutdeparting from my invention, the essential feature in which is that ofso confining the welded area within the perimeter of the block that allportions of the web which are subject to deteriorating heat may be subjected to pressure through the block. Hence I do not wish to limit myselfto the particular construction and arrangement shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patent, is-

1. A welding-block for use in bonding electric-railway track, said blockhaving its welding-face provided with a raised portion and with a seatfor a bonding member, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described weld-block for use in bonding track-rails, saidblock haviu g that portion of its surface which is designed to form theweld raised above the surrounding portion and provided with a seat for abonding member, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described weld-block for use in bonding track-rails, saidblock having its inner face formed with a depressed marginal portion andhaving a seat for a bonding device, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described weld-block for use in bonding track-rails, saidblock having a raised weld-surface and a surrounding depressed portiondesigned to be pressed into contact with the rail-web, said block alsohaving a groove extending across said depressed portion into the raisedportion, substantially as described.

5. The herein-described weld-block for use in track-bonding work, saidblock having a central peripherally-tapered welding portion providedwith a groove to seat a bondingcable, substantially as described.

6. The herein-described weld-block for use in track-bonding work, saidblock having a raised boss, and a cable-seating groove in said boss,substantially as described.

7. The herein-described weld-block for use in track-bonding work, saidblock having a raised central boss, and a groove extending into thesame, said groove having its bottom wall depressed exteriorly of thesaid boss, substantially as described.

8. The herein-described welded connection for rail-bonding cables,comprising a grooved block in which the cable is seated and welded tothe web of the rail, said block being also welded to the rail by acentral boss, substantially as described.

9. In a welded connection for rail-bonds, the combination with abonding-cable, of a block having on its inner face a grooved boss inwhich the cable is seated and which with the cable is welded to the webof the rail, the weld between the cable and rail being con finedentirely within the lines of said block, substantially as described.

10. In a welded connection for rail-bonds, the combination with abonding-cable, of a block having a central grooved boss in which thecable is seated and which is welded to the web of the rail, the marginalportion of said block surrounding said boss being also forced intocontact with said web, substantially as described.

11. In a welded connection for rail-bonds, the combination with the railof the two blocks having raised central bosses welded to the web of therail upon opposite sides of the same and marginal portions in contactwith said web, one of said blocks having a groove therein for thebonding-cables, substantially as described.

12. In a welded connection for rail-bonds, the combination with therail, and the bonding-cable, of a block welded to one side of therail-web and having a groove in which the cable is seated, said cablebeing also welded to the said web, and a reinforcing-block upon theopposite side of said web and welded thereto by a central boss, saidblocks having their marginal portions forced against said web,substantially as described.

13. In a welded connection for rail-bonds, a pair of blocks welded toopposite sides of the rail by central bosses thereof, and having theirmarginal portions pressed against the rail and embracing that portion ofthe rail around the weld which was subject to the deteriorating heatthereof, one of said blocks having a bonding-cable also welded to therail therein, substantially as described.

14. The herein-described weld-block for the purpose described having acentral boss formed with a seat therein forabonding mem- In testimonywhereof I have affixed my sigber, and designed to be Welded to the Webof nature in presence of two witnesses.

a rail, and a surroundin depressed portion of sufiieient area toGH'lbFELCG that portion of KLEINSOHMIDT' the rail-Web which is subjectto the deterio- W'itnesses: rating heat of the weld, substantially asde- MYRTLE E. SHARPE,

scribed. H. W. SMITH.

